To Hold You Over In Heaven
by ForeverLilacLies
Summary: Sakura visits her brother-in-law, and has a heart to heart with him. Oneshot request.


**So I'm not a SasuSaku shipper, but this was a request from another story from EvanescenceUchiha, and somehow after reading her request I just had this sudden picture in my head. It's not overly romantic…but I hope you like it!**

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With all the time in the world, and a mission at hand, Sakura Uchiha moved through the grass. She was the only one in the area, and it suited her just fine. Sakura walked across the worn path, plate in hand and face pulled into a determined mask. She caught site of her destination and she kept her pace steady. Holding the plate in front of her she released a soft breath, closing her eyes.

"Hello." She greeted, eyes reopening. "I'm Sakura…as you already probably know…but I digress. I was told you had a slight addiction to these, and so I brought you a plate." She looked down at the plate for a moment.

"So Sasuke lost his tempter awhile back…nothing new there? Well, the end result is that he told everyone the truth, about you…I know it's not what you wanted and that you would wag your finger at Sasuke for doing such a thing…that's why he hasn't visited in awhile. He's ashamed and doesn't want to face you with losing his temper like that." She sighed and shook her head, all to knowing of her husband's anger issues.

"We never had the chance to actually meet, huh?" Sakura asked sitting down in the grass and crossing her legs. "I always had this picture painted of you as being this unsightly monster." Sakura laughed, jade eyes filled with warmth.

"Turns out, you're gorgeous. Like amazingly so...and very much a good person. Great hair by the way. Ino…she's a friend of mine as she says your hair is to die for. And I was curious about those eyelashes. How did you grow them so long? Are they natural? I'm so jealous...Uchihas right?" Sakura laughed softly at this. She fiddled with the button on her shirt for a long moment before smiling again.

"You have a niece….but I think Sasuke's already told you about her. Sarada, she's such a smart girl. So filled with life and eagerness. I bet you and her would have gotten along great. You'll meet her one day. Hopefully not for a very long time…and we'll meet too. Officially." She looked up to watch the clouds roll by lazily.

"It's hard to think of you as a little boy being given such a heavy burden. And somehow, you did not break. Sarada's the same age you were…and just imagining…you were so strong, Itachi. And you deserved so much more in life." There was a bitterness to her words a she imagined a waif like child Itachi being given his orders and obeying them to protect his brother. How had Mikoto felt at the very end? Had she felt like she failed her eldest? Sakura hoped they had been reunited, and that Itachi was finally at peace with those he loved and as happy as he deserved.

As a mother, Sakura never wanted to go through what Mikoto had. She never wanted to lose her daughter to a murky cruel system.

"You influenced Sasuke in so many ways. He's grown up so much and I have no doubt you would be proud of him. You were always proud of him, though right? He's no longer that angry lost little boy. And it was not just Sasuke. You influenced Naruto too, and Kakashi and _me_." She gripped the plate, suddenly cracking the glass and she cursed softly. She placed the broken plate beside her and quickly fixed her hair.

Sakura smiled softly and knelt down at Itachi's grave site. She placed the dango stick beside the Forget-me-nots, eyes filled with tender warmth.

"Thank you…Niichan." She whispered, brushing her fingers over the marble surface. She glanced at the various gifts that had been left to the Uchiha. She knew Naruto visited with ramen. She wondered briefly who would leave a book, but upon further inspection, her eyes lit up as she recognized the Icha Icha cover with a little note scrawled in messy writing.

 _'To hold you over in Heaven.'_

This had Sakura smiling again, imagining her former sensei shifting from foot and foot and clutching the book as he stared shyly at Itachi's little grave. Sakura closed her eyes as a familiar chakra source approached.

"Sasuke." She called out, lips twitching.

"Sakura." Sasuke greeted his wife who looked up from Itachi's grave stone. She nearly burst out laughing at the sight before her. Sasuke, her stoic ultra cool husband was carrying several sticks of dango, all arrangements of flowers and a hair ribbon that was a deep shade of scarlet.

At his side, stood Sarada who had her dark eyes glued to her uncle's grave. In her arms was a plush rabbit. Sakura watched as Sasuke slowly approached Itachi's grave and placed the dango and flowers beside Sakura's. He draped the hair ribbon over the book, fingers gentle as they traced over Itachi's name.

"Hi Aniki." Sasuke greeted softly. His eyes filled with warmth. "Sorry I have't visited in awhile." This had Sakura's throat dry and she looked away, allowing Sasuke his moment with his brother. Sasuke smiled slightly.

"I see you've had visitors…you were always the nice one." Sasuke teased as he looked at the various gifts left for Itachi. He knew people would sometimes go to visit Itachi. Before Sasuke had revealed the truth, some thug had gone in and destroyed the grave, even going as far to try to desecrate where Itachi was buried. Kakashi had caught them in the act… Neither Sasuke or Sakura could recall seeing Kakashi so angry. Even Sasuke, who was prone to anger had to admit that the rage he felt when he learned what was done to his Aniki's resting place was in the top five.

Sarada moved forward, face pulled into a hard scowl. Sakura watched her as she knelt beside her father and shook her head.

"It's not fair." The girl murmured as she gently leaned the rabbit against the gravestone. Sasuke and Sakura watched her.

"No, it's not." Sasuke stated. Sarada shook her head, biting her lip.

"I never even got to meet him and had to listen to people who had no idea who he was talk poorly about Hokage always made them stop, though. Said he would not have anyone disrespecting the dead." Sakura smiled softly at this while Sasuke's eyes filled with warmth.

"Naruto's pretty protective of Itachi." Sakura replied and Sasuke nodded in agreement. He glanced at the various gifts, eyebrows knitting at the book.

"Who left…Kakashi." Sasuke sighed, but did not disturb the book. "I don't even know if Itachi would read this junk."

"Probably not, but it's the thought that counts." Sakura murmured, her eyes sly. Sasuke moved to sit beside he wife and took her hand in his own, placing a soft kiss against her skin that had her blushing like a teenager. She smiled at him and his lips twitched in return.

" **Eww** guys, really." Sarada stated from where she was kneeling near Itachi's grave. She turned to the stone with a shake of her head. "Man, Oji…parents. Am I right?" She asked and heard her mother laugh. She sat down beside the grave with her father across from her and her mother beside her. Her parents, fingers were brushing.

"So Oji, I'm going to be Hokage." Sarada stated, looking to the grave. Sasuke smiled slightly at this and watched his daughter speak animately as if Itachi was sitting right there.

"And I'm getting a brother or sister." She continued on and this nearly had Sakura choking on her spit.

"I don't remember having that discussion!" Sakura managed after a moment. Her daughter offered her a sly grin.

"Oji thinks it's a great idea!" Sarada declared, fixing her glasses that slid down her nose. Sakura shook her head as Sasuke watched on in amusement.

"You've been spending too much time with Itachi. Next thing you know you're going to buy out all the dango shops." Sakura waggled her finger. "I can't afford that sort of habit. We'll lose our house!"

" _See_ Oji? They're so bossy!" The girl laughed, catching her father's eye. Sasuke offered her a small smile and it was returned.

The three sat in the grass together and just talked, pulling Itachi in as in in place of that gravestone, sat a young healthy twenty one year old man who smiled with his eyes closed and tilted his head when confused and binge ate dango. And maybe for them, he was there.


End file.
